Burning off those Valentine's Day calories

If you are lucky enough to receive some special Valentine’s Day gifts from your friends or significant other, candy lovers beware! Some of the most gifted presents include boxed candies, red velvet cake, and other sugar-rich treats. Check out the calorie content online if you dare and work off those extra nutrient-deficient foods with extra time in the gym.

Russell Stover’s Assorted Chocolates in a Heart Box contain 199 calories per 3 pieces. If you wanted to burn off those extra calories, you’d have to walk two miles (about the length of Central Park north to south).

Sara Lee’s Red Velvet bakery cake has 300 calories per serving (if you cut up into 25 pieces, this would be one slice). Not only is the serving size small, but the cake is packed with saturated fat and 27 grams of sugar per serving. Just to burn off that one serving of cake, you’d have to jump on a stair climber and workout for 30 minutes. Might be worth to just skip it and have some fruit to quench your sweet tooth!

One slice of Paula Deen’s famous brownie recipe yields 329 calories per serving. Yikes! That’s almost as much as a healthy half burrito bowl from Chipotle leaving your hunger more satisfied than a sugary chocolate brownie. To burn off 329 calories, you’d have to do jumping jacks for 36 minutes straight.

Hopefully this will either make you think twice before eating these high-calorie treats or force you to get in extra time in the gym. Choose wisely and don’t forget Valentine’s Day is about spending time with the ones you love, so motivate them to join you in making good decisions on this special day.